I t took quite a little while for me to decide what kind of backsplash to use for the Twice Remembered kitchen. With cottage and/or farmhouse style, there are so many options! I considered beadboard - a classic choice! But I knew that in the future, I would be using beadboard on the walls throughout the entire house, so I wanted to use something a little different for the backsplash. I also thought about small square mosaic tiles, subway tiles, or even antique ceiling tin. In the end, though, I decided to go with thin brick pavers.

I get a lot of questions about these thin brick pavers. I found them at Lowes a couple of years ago. They were exact replicas of old bricks and were about .50 each. However, I have not been able to find these bricks at Lowes for quite a while now. If anyone has any information on where to find them, please do let me know! First of all, I'd love to be able to know where to direct folks who are looking for them, and second of all...I need some more thin bricks for the the faux fireplace we'll be doing in the dining room down the road. I sure wish I would have picked up an extra box when they were in stock. Little did I know!

Even painted, the bricks reveal a lot of texture.

Though I've done a little tile work back in my pre-cottage days, I wasn't up to renting a wet saw to cut the brick, and I was a little nervous about attempting some of the more detailed cuts that were required. So we decided to hire a friend for the install. I wasn't here when he did the job, but he used some kind of thick, glue-like mastic {not cement-like mortar} to apply the pavers right on top of the existing drywall.

When the glue was set and cured, I grouted the brick with sanded grout. Just to see what it would look like, I smeared a lot of the grout over the surface of the pavers and really liked the result.

But whenever I had to clean the backsplash, some of the grout on the surface would come off. I knew that I really needed to paint the backsplash for a more durable finish.

I thought that I would still like to see the bricks distress a bit - with the paint rubbed off here and there with some of the brick peeking through... so I attempted to take some of the paint off by sanding and chemicals {ugh! That was a mess and very hard to do!}

Still, I wasn't crazy with the result. It seemed too contrived and busy with the pattern in my countertop. In the end, I decided to just paint it a nice, crisp white. The paint I used was a kitchen paint by Behr that is somewhere between a satin and semi-gloss - Sateen Lustre. I am very pleased with how it turned out and it's super easy to keep clean.

If you are looking for a way to add some cottage or farmhouse appeal to your kitchen...and if you can find these bricks, I think you, too, will be happy with how they dress up your backsplash!

If you enjoyed reading about this project, please take a moment to rate it for a contest I've entered. Just scroll to the bottom where it says "rollover to rate this" and click on a star - 5 stars being the highest rating and 1 star being the lowest. I am so grateful to all those that have rated my spaces so far - Thank you!I'm linking up at DIY Day this week!

Thanks for taking the time to share this wonderful kitchen renovation with us! I love the backsplash...perfect touch! We are in the middle of an unplanned kitchen renovation (pipes busted) But I am getting new cabinets out of it! I've used beadboard as my back splash and in a few cabinets. Come by and check it out!Blessings,Traci

Hi, Kim! First of all your kitchen......wow...too amazing for words! SERIOUSLY amazingly beautiful! I was so happy to have found your site because I am in the process of redoing my kitchen and I have those dang...I mean lovable brick pavers as my backsplash...left from a previous owner. I have cursed them since to day we moved in. I knew getting them off would involve removing cabinets, drywall, window trim...ect.and Hubby would not go for that! So I have painted them every color (except white for some reason) in an effort to happily live with them. Now that I have seen how WONDERFUL yours looks painted white, mine will be getting a new paint job in the next coming week and I am excited about it! I LOVE how yours looks with your accessories! Thank you for making me love my brick pavers! you ROCK, sista!! Oh and I have seen them for sale at a local (western PA) hardware store called Trader Horn. Next time I am in there I will check for a brand name and let you know...so you can let your fans know!!! hugs - rebekah

I am so lovin' your backsplash!! We are going to do brick pavers as well. I've been wanting them since I met a friend who had them. Oh, another friend of mine{A Little Piece of Heaven-on my sidebar} just got some installed as well, but they are a variegated brick. We have a tile place up the road and they carry brick pavers, thankfully, and they are about $1 a square foot.Elise

I have loved reading the transformation process of your kitchen/dining room! I wish I had taken more "during" photos when we remodeled ours....be fore blogging:)LOVE the backsplash and red cabinets!Oh, and your blog!

I never cease to be amazed at the transformation of your kitchen. I love the paver backsplash idea. I would love if you would come over to my blog and enter a giveaway I am hosting (my first one!) Hope to see you there. By the way, I can't wait to see your studio progress!

good job - I think your new brick backsplash makes rea1ly good complement to overall kitchen look. I wish you had taken picture of your kitchen's overall look when you had your bricks look more distressed, and less white. I wonder how it looked like

I just love the way your whole kitchen came out! And the backsplash just makes that red look great! By the way, is there a date somewhere on your posts? I'm always looking for dates. Guess I'm compulsive that way! Brenda

Lowe's has the thin brick pavers, if that is the same thing: http://www.lowes.com/pd_19210-215-156113349_0_?productId=3089515&Ntt=thin%20brick&Ntk=i_products_cascade&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=thin%20brick$y=9$x=44

I would love to know if it is the same product. This would be great in my kitchen, too!

Although you finished your project a while ago, I wanted to say thank you for sharing. Your post helped me to get exactly what I was looking for in a brick paver backsplash in a kitchen renovation that we recently completed. Just wanted to say thanks!

Love the backsplash! We used the same brick 5 years ago for a hallway and then tried to find it again this past spring for our laundry room, with no luck. Lowes doesn't carry it anymore. The closest thing we could find was Brick-a-floor which is beautiful, but much more expensive. It's what we used for the laundry room and will probably end up using for the kitchen backsplash. But sure wish we could find the Lowes pavers....so good looking and so cheap!

Check out Lowe's online and go to faux brick. I found a great selection of colors online at "Brick Web", about the same prices as Lowe's and they ship. Love, love, love the look and can hardly wait to finish my kitchen!Pam